The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12, 1910. COUNCIL AMENITIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14322, 12 October 1910, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12, 1910. COUNCIL AMENITIES.

Witli our correspondent whose letter appears in another column, we think it regrettable that two members of the Borough Council should have forgotten, at ' the meeting on Monday night, alike the dignity of their office and their own dignity. It does not conduce to the respect which citizens should properly feel, and we are sure desire, to feel, towards their representatives on the Council, when they see one of its occupants apparently mistake that placo of honour for the precincts of a pommelling ground. Councillors Watson and Satterthwaite wero the active offenders against the Council's dignity _ on Monday night, and in accusiag Councillor Watson of "unmanly" conduct we think that Councillor Satterthwaite made an unfortunate choice of terms. _ But, in deliberately withdrawing from the Council in committee in order that no quorum might be left to transact some special business, we feel that Councillor Watson first placed himself in the wrong, and, having pursued a course which he must have known would be resented, he was much the more vehement and combative disputant in the recriminations that ensued.

We do not see why Councillor Watson should have objected to the drainage engineer, Mr Marchant, being heard at the previous committee meeting of' the Council on a matter affecting the north end septic tank. In other centres it is usual for the officers of a Council to attend and give information at a committee meeting', the same as at a meeting of the Council, if their advice or information is required. In this instance the committee before which Mr Marchant was to ap.JSSyinflfiill&lly the GAnmiittfie

of 1 lie whole Council, and there was the further reason for his presence Ihat the drairtag;e engineer was unable to attend the regular niceting of the Council, and so it liad been decided to hear him at the committee meeting. The action of a member of a public body in deliberately withdrawingl from a meeting- alter he had taken his seat in order to break up a quorum crmld only be justified, in our opinion, by the very strongest conviction' that some decision, adverse to the public interest, was in danger of being l carried by too small an attendance. If any aspect of the business in connection with the septic tank had seemed unsatisfactory to Councillor Watson, or if there were circumstances in regard to it of which he thoug'lit the public should be informed, it was open to him to make a statement when the decision arrived at in committee came up for confirmation in open Council. The Deputy-Mayor put the position mildly ' when he said last night that the remarks made at Holiday's meeting were "not very creditable to the Council as a whole." They were very far from being' creditable to the Council, and the Deputy-Mayor must; take his portion of the blame for not interposing' promptly and .stopping- the unseemly wrang-le. We are pleased to see that Air Hawkey declared his intention to cut .short such scenes in future by a strict enforcement of tin l standing l orders, but we hope that: Councillors will feel henceforth a graver sense of their important office, and that there will be few occasions for his intervention.